


The Big Two-One

by atnuka



Series: Grasping Straws [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Cute Ending, F/M, Gen, One-Shot, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark misses Peter Parker, i think so at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26307127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atnuka/pseuds/atnuka
Summary: “Hey, kid. It’s been a while.” Tony chuckled sadly.The day didn’t started well, and it hadn’t improved from there. He’d woken up in tears, his heart still racing from his nightmare—no,memory—of Peter turning to dust in his arms. The finalI’m sorryhad been a constant refrain in his mind since.——On Peter’s 21st birthday, Tony records a message to his kid.During the five years. Canon-compliant.*CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE WORK. DO NOT HAVE TO READ WHOLE SERIES!!*
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Morgan Stark
Series: Grasping Straws [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911415
Comments: 14
Kudos: 107





	The Big Two-One

**Author's Note:**

> Extension of the 4th chapter of Grasping Straws. This makes sense without it, but if you’re interested; that’s the context this was written in.
> 
> I hope you find this pretty angsty, because that was absolutely my intention with this work. I’m going to have to start writing fluff pieces now, since Grasping Straws is taking a dark turn for at least a few chapters and I need something light.

Tony adjusted the camera on its tripod, trying to get the video in focus.

“Shit, is this recording?” His voice was low enough not to be picked up by the camera or the little girl playing behind him.

This was U’s job, but after several incidents in the house involving the bots, Morgan’s toys, and Gerald, Tony had returned DUM-E, U, and Butterfingers to his lab at Stark Industries.

After taking a quick look over his shoulder to check on Morgan, who was still happily stacking blocks without any rhyme or reason, he looked into the camera’s lens.

“Hey, kid. It’s been a while.” Tony chuckled sadly. The day didn’t started well, and it hadn’t improved from there. He’d woken up in tears, his heart still racing from his nightmare—no, _memory_ —of Peter turning to dust in his arms. The final _I’m sorry_ had been a constant refrain in his mind since.

Pepper had taken one look at him and understood. She’d stayed home for Morgan until an emergency at SI had called her away, leaving Tony to wipe away his tears and watch over his daughter.

Unsurprisingly, she had been a boon to his mood. Tony couldn’t help but smile when Morgan laughed gleefully at his mediocre attempts at character voices when he’d read her a story.

“I don’t know why I’m doing this. It’s not like you’re here to see it.’

After Morgan’s birth, Tony had stopped making videos for the boy he’d lost in favour of taking care of his newborn. This year marked a special occasion, though.

He let out a sigh. “Today would’ve been your 21st birthday. I’d raise a glass to you, but I made a promise to Pep and I’ve got someone new to set a better example for.”

Tony wrestled with the tripod again, trying to lift the camera off its stand. Soon enough, he gave up his fruitless attempts and simply picked up the camera by its stand. Pointing it at Morgan, he continued.

“There’s your little sister, Pete. She even takes after you, with the LEGOs and everything. Morgan loves Spider-man stories too, so you’d have been a big hit with this one.”

Considering the number of Spider-man toys he’d bought for her, meeting Peter in the suit would be the highlight of her year. And meeting Peter out of costume... well, they’d have gotten along like a house on fire.

“Here we are, kid. The big two-one. Drinking, smoking, partying—all the doors would’ve been open to you now.”

Tony half-laughed. “Not that you’d have done as much of those as I did, but Rhodey would’ve loved to recount my misadventures to you. We’d have had good times together. Which we did, just... not enough.”

His smile fell, and he blinked back his tears. Morgan was very perceptive to other people’s emotions, and he and Pepper had learned the hard way that crying in her presence resulted in a gush of sympathetic tears from their little girl.

“Anyway, Pete.” Tony forced a smile back onto his face. “We’re going to cut a cake for you after Pepper gets home. Maybe this year the little miss will be able to keep her hands off the cake until the song’s over.”

He laughed. “Who are we kidding? We’d be lucky if she waited until the candles were blown out. Last year, she got her hands on the cake before Pep even found the lighter. R—” Tony’s voice died.

_Remember that, kid? Remember how she’d lost her balance and face-planted onto the cake? How her face and hands were covered in icing and we thought she was on the verge of tears when she burst out laughing? Remember?_

Tony’s eyes welled up, even as he pasted on another grin. “Pep and I made sure she knows you too, Pete. Not just Spider-man. I told her all about her brave big brother and his terrifying aunt.” A tear fell as he recalled the first time Morgan had asked to meet Peter and their Aunt May. “She loves you, kid, even before... even _if_ she’s never met you. And...,” he paused briefly, looking directly into the lens. “I love you too, Peter.”

He flicked his eyes away, resting them on Morgan, and continued, “I never said that to you. I didn’t know then, that what I felt about you was love. Didn’t have the best father-figures growing up, between Howard and Stane. Just Jarvis.... But when I see Morgan, I can’t help but remember another kid with big brown eyes and a tendency to get into trouble.” Tony spared a glance towards the camera. “That’s you, by the way.”

Looking back at Morgan, he said, “I’ve made a happy ending for myself, Pete, and considering the state of the world these days, that’s no mean feat.

“Still... sometimes... I just wish...” Tears began falling down Tony’s face in earnest now. “I miss you so much, kid. I tried everything to get you back. _Everything_. Pepper said she’d nearly lost me again... but I had to pull myself together. For Morgan, because you’d have done that. The right thing.” His face crumpled. “You were _always_ better, Peter. I wish I could tell you that.”

Behind him, Morgan began wailing, having caught sight of Tony’s tears.

Tony allowed himself a single deep breath, then gave the camera a final, tremulous smile. “Gotta go, Pete. I love you, kid.”

He turned off the recording and walked over to scoop up Morgan, who buried her face in Tony’s neck, still crying. “Hey now, Morguna. I was just talking to Petey for a sec.” He bounced her on his hip a couple times.

Tony knew that she would remain inconsolable until he presented her with a distraction. So, with a quick mental apology to Pepper, he asked, “How about we open a couple presents before Mommy gets home?”

Feeling her nod into his shoulder, he smiled and carried her downstairs into the living room, away from the unused bedroom with its Iron Man-themed sheets.


End file.
